Polk Teacher Bonus Pay Plan Would Use Set of Performance Variables

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.theledger.com/article/20080203/NEWS/802030464/1039

By John Chambliss
The Ledger

LAKELAND | The Polk County School District, like most of its counterparts around the state, has rejected the state's new merit-pay plan that focuses on student achievement. For teachers here, that would've amounted to $4.9 million in bonuses.

Last year, only26 out of 67 districts in the state applied for the state's Merit Award Program. Since then, only five have met state requirements.

Teachers and administrators in Polk say it is unfair to use one test to determine a bonus, which is the method required to take the money.

"They keep rolling out a similar program over and over that teachers don't support," said Marianne Capoziello, president of Polk Education Association teachers' union. "The district and union are in agreement with not doing the plan."

Polk teachers are not completely out of luck in terms of getting merit pay, though.

Since the 2002-03 school year, a much smaller $150,000 bonus plan has been offered to teachers in the county.


FULL story at link.